Gold Coast Innovation Hub’s Robina base

THE Gold Coast Innovation Hub - after a false start - has found a new home in Robina, with the lease deal the biggest in the past 18 months.

Robina Group’s Hylton Slater, Opmantek’s Danny Maher and Sharon Hunneybell, and Knight Frank’s Tania Moore at The PC, the new home of the GCIH.

THE biggest Gold Coast leasing deal for the past 18 months has been signed in Robina — cutting further into a tight vacancy rate for the business hub.

Gold Coast Innovation Hub has signed a five-year lease, with two five-year options, for 1822sq m of space over three levels at The PC at 36 Laver Drive, Robina.

The deal, struck with Robina Group, is the largest since the National Disability Insurance Agency signed a 10-year lease for 2796sq m of space at The Rocket tower in Robina in January, 2017.

The GCIH will pay $360/sq m net for the space.

Sharon Hunneybell and Danny Maher, of Opmantek, were critical to the launch of the Gold Coast Innovation Hub. Picture: Jerad Williams

Knight Frank office leasing specialist Tania Moore negotiated both leases.

Ms Moore said the deal is very good for the business community.

“Lease deals over 1000sq m on the Gold Coast are relatively rare, so this is a significant deal,” she said.

“The Gold Coast has the highest number of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) per head of capita Australia-wide and, as an incubator, Gold Coast Innovation Hub will enable these start-ups to base themselves in the sought-after precinct while they work to expand into their own premises over time.

GET FULL DIGITAL ACCESS FOR 50C A DAY

“It will create a catalyst for technology companies to establish a footprint on the Gold Coast.”

Gold Coast Innovation Hub CEO Sharon Hunneybell, who is also CEO at Opmantek, said the new space will become the Gold Coast’s first dedicated start-up precinct.

A site at Burleigh Heads was planned to be the home of the hub, but that deal fell through.

“The PC will be a home for our city’s innovators, investors and the wider start-up community,” she said.

“We’re commencing fit-out of the ground floor first, with the aim of opening this space within the next few weeks, followed by the second and top floors shortly after.

“The lower level is designed to facilitate interaction and communication with a hot desk zone, meeting rooms, a cafe and bar area and a 200-person event space, with full stage and audio visual fit-out.

“An incredible element of this journey is the response from the city’s business community, with close to 400 businesses registering their interest for space in the Hub.”

The Hub will be managed by Little Tokyo Two.

Robina Group recently undertook an extensive renovation and extension of The PC, to offer a total net lettable area of 2112sq m, along with high-speed fibre internet.

The most recent Gold Coast office market report by The Property Council listed the Robina/Varsity area vacancy rate at 7.2 per cent.